Published: February 12, 2025
“adkaehnnga, wongn, aeangnad, aa, eaonedng ae aakeng ……”
The melodious music floated throughout the great hall, where a solitary figure moved back and forth like a lost soul or wild ghost.
At times, he closed his eyes and embraced himself, at times he turned around repeatedly, and at times he raised his head and sang silently, enjoying the solitude that belonged solely to him like a ghost.
In this vast hall stood many machines of various forms, and life consisted of just him.
“Ah, Anji, how are you? Does your joint still hurt? I patched you up with the hurricane gold last time; it should be better now.”
“Oh, it’s just a bit too expensive. You have to be good; otherwise, I won’t treat you so nicely.”
“Eh, Park Dongjeong? What’s wrong with you? Why are you bending over? Is this spear too heavy? It’s okay, just hang in there; it’ll be over soon.”
“Hi, great emperor, how are you? You’re still so tall! Let me see, oh dear, your teeth are a bit rusty. I need to take care of you, hmm, just a bit of care, but this time there’s no time, maybe next time.”
“Big Leopard, Big Leopard, you’re the best! I love your metal armor; it’s filled with strength and beauty. How about I choose you to be my mount?”
“That’s right, I almost forgot about you, Ono-kun. You are my real ride, but I’m a bit tired of that. I want to have a close combat this time, what do you think?”
This person continuously conversed with the machines amid the music. Strangely, every time he spoke to one of the machines, lights would flicker on them as if responding to him.
Thus, this person talked to the machines, danced by himself, and played an unknown song in an unrecognizable language.
After a moment, something suddenly lit up on a crystal screen in the center of the hall. The person slowly walked over and saw a mountain peak glowing brightly.
He chuckled and patted the head of a mechanical rabbit that only reached his knees.
“Ah, it’s starting!”
A smile of long-awaited anticipation appeared on his face.
………………………………………………
In a dense forest, a vast area of plants had been completely cleared.
In Alaska, due to the climate, there weren’t many plants still alive, and such behavior was usually considered abnormal.
At this moment, a not-so-large but very sturdy camp had been built in this open space, though it was unclear when it had been constructed.
Inside, voices were lively; many people were drinking and eating meat, with several enormous bonfires nearby, surrounded by some mutated life forms. Since it was slightly farther from the Arctic, the wind was not as fierce as at the Bering Strait, and the entire camp was filled with the aroma of alcohol.
Now, during the apocalypse, everyone was an evolver, and alcohol no longer intoxicated people.
Beside the largest bonfire, six or seven people were sitting. One muscular man, dressed in white animal skin, was pouring liquor into his mouth, finishing a 700-milliliter bottle in one gulp, then tossing the empty bottle behind him, where dozens of bottles had already accumulated.
“Hey, Drew, do you want to drink yourself to death? We’re here for a purpose, not for you to get drunk.”
A man with green pupils said discontentedly, deftly wielding a dagger as he sliced evenly from the leg of a mutated creature, smeared it with bright red chili, and chewed it.
“I can’t get drunk,” the muscular man grunted in response.
Although evolvers couldn’t get drunk, drinking too much in a short period would still cause dizziness and decreased reaction times. As for how long that would last, it varied from person to person; those with higher evolutionary levels would find the duration relatively short.
“The governor summoned us; do you have any dissatisfaction?”
Another person, thin with a third eye on his forehead, obviously an evolver of the eye technique, spoke. Whenever he said this, the eye in the center of his forehead would occasionally open, revealing a pale white interior that was quite eerie.